Murphy slams McMahon over late Conn. tax payment

Published 5:45 am, Saturday, September 22, 2012

HARTFORD (AP) -- Democratic Senate candidate Chris Murphy blasted his wealthy Republican opponent, Linda McMahon, for being late on paying property taxes due Aug. 1 for a Stamford condominium when she has strongly criticized Murphy for his various late payments from years past.

A spokesman for Murphy's campaign, Ben Marter, said McMahon had been "caught red-handed skipping out on taxes on her $4 million luxury penthouse and she only paid it back on Friday "after she was caught."

"The facts keep getting worse and worse for right-wing Republican wrestling tycoon Linda McMahon and her desperate campaign to lie about Chris Murphy and mislead Connecticut families," Marter said. "But McMahon can't lie her way out of this one."

Corry Bliss, McMahon's campaign manager, said the tax bill has now been paid in full through July 2013. He stressed that McMahon and her husband Vince had not received a bill until Sept. 13 and have never been late on a tax bill for the condo, located in the Trump Parc. Several newspapers reported Friday that the McMahons failed to make the $27,055 tax payment.

Under state law, property taxpayers are responsible for knowing when their taxes are due and failure to receive a bill does not exempt them from having to make a payment.

Bliss said Murphy's attack proves "he is a hypocrite to the highest order."

"Congressman Murphy's refusal to answer questions or release any documents regarding his growing ethics problems simply proves to Connecticut voters he is just another corrupt, career politician who will do or say anything to get elected to higher office," he said.

McMahon's campaign recently filed an ethics complaint with the U.S. House accusing Murphy of using his congressional position to obtain a home equity line of credit, months after being sued in 2007 for defaulting on a mortgage. McMahon's campaign calls it "a prohibitive gift" from Webster Bank, but the bank says it treated Murphy the same as other customers.

Both candidates are vying to fill the seat that's being vacated by the retiring U.S. Joe Lieberman, an independent.